A method of operating a windshield wiper of a motor vehicle is described in U.S. Pat. No. 45 42 325. The windshield wiper is controlled by a rain sensor. The dirt, the moisture coating or the precipitation on the window to be cleaned is detected by the rain sensor, which transmits a signal to a control device of the windshield wiper. The sensor, however, observes only a comparatively small portion of the total windshield surface. The windshield wiper operation method set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 45 42 325 having the object of a uniform wiper operation provides a suppression of the integration of the detected signal during windshield wiper operation. With the known method a lower limit for the interval between two washing or wiping events is defined, which cannot be exceeded in intermittent operation.